Having trouble getting registered or subscribing? Email us at info@kysportsreport.com or Private Message CitizenBBN and we'll get you set up!

  • Fran Curci tidbits on Joker, Louisville, Ramsey


    1976 SEC and Peach Bowl Champion team coached by Fran Curci

    By: LARRY VAUGHT

    Here are thoughts former Kentucky Fran Curci shared on a variety of other subjects:

    — Playing Louisville.
    “I always wanted to play Louisville. I tried to play Louisville. (Kentucky athletics director) Cliff Hagan didn’t want to do that. He said if we play in football, we will have to play them in basketball. I said, ‘So what?’ My proposal was, and it would have happened, I wanted to play them every year in Lexington and we get all the money, maybe give them a little bit, and we would get the win. That’s the way I felt about it. They didn’t want any part of that, but things have changed. Back then, that’s the way everybody felt.”

    — Advice for UK coach Joker Phillips.
     “Just keep doing what you are doing. All he can do is try to get the best players you can. One of the things I always wished I could do was on offense have a set style. I had to change every year to what I had. I never really had an offense to say this is my offense. I think Joker is in that position right now trying to plug guys into his offense and you better hope they are the guys who can do that.”

    — On Phillips winning at Kentucky.
    “I don’t know if you can whether it is Joker or anybody. You have to be able to go out and get players. Here is what happens. As a coach you come in, and I think we won more SEC games in first year than other guy (John Ray) had won in four years. Everybody got a little excited and our recruiting method was to tell players they could help us build a program and you will be a lot more famous for it than by going to somewhere that is a power. We got some really good players to buy into that. I think Joker has done a pretty good job with players, but does he have enough fast enough and does he have enough to sustain in this league. I don’t know.
    “The SEC is so dominant and now wants to open its own TV network. They are going to keep getting the best kids in the SEC. You are in that league and if you are in that league, you better get the same players everybody else is getting. That is where Kentucky really has to pick it up. I don’t know. It is just hard to play in that league.”

    — Coaching salaries.
    “The most I ever made was $46,000. Looking back and if we had won a championship, I would have made $4 or $5 million now. Heck, offensive coordinators make more than any head coach ever did when I was coaching.”

    — Former UK quarterback Derrick Ramsey.
    “Ramsey, you talk about a special athlete. We built our whole offense around him. We had three mediocre backs and Derrick. He would run bootlegs and you could see those defensive backs wanting no part of him. They couldn’t tackle him. He could throw the ball probably 10 yards on a good day, but he was an athlete.”
    Comments 5 Comments
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Like it, Larry, although his outlook isn't good for UK long-term.

      On the front page there is a pic of his 1976 SEC and Peach Bowl Champion team to accompany your story.
    1. Darryl's Avatar
      Darryl -
      I am a big Curci fan but I have a question. Why is Mumme hated by UK fans and Curci generally liked/remembered fondly? Both broke rules in very
      similar ways. Mumme actually was forced to leave and can not be mentioned while Fran coached another 5 years after probation was handed out.

      Mumme/Eddie Sutton are despised.

      Charlie Bradshaw disliked for other reasons.

      Coach Rupp and Hall loved/greatly admired.

      Alabama fans worship Stallings/Bryant/Saban. All got their program(s) on probation.

      Auburn fans love Shug Jordan/Pat Dye. Both got the Tigers on probation.

      Bobby Bowden got Florida State on probation 3 times.

      Woody Hayes got Ohio State on probation.

      I need to get my list together on coaches who got probation. The names of even the great ones is amazing.

      Darryl
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Larry, thanks for bringing back some good memories of a very good football coach. I wish circumstances had allowed Fran to stay at Kentucky for a long time. That Peach Bowl team was one of the most fun to watch, ever. I hope Fran is doing well today and would sure love to thank him for bringing a lot of fun to Commonwealth.
    1. UKHistory's Avatar
      UKHistory -
      Mumme's team cheated and sucked. Curci went 10-1. That is a big difference.

      Football seems to allow for a greater degree of cheating and general bending of the rules than basketball.
    1. LarryVaught1's Avatar
      LarryVaught1 -
      Loved both Curci and Mumme myself. Fran was on the verge of really having it going at UK when circumstances cost him
  • KSR Twitter Feed

  • Recent Forum Posts

    Harlow

    Re: Oakland v UK hall of fame

    See ya next guys with a new coach

    Harlow 03-22-2024, 08:36 AM Go to last post
    Darrell KSR

    Re: Oakland v UK hall of fame

    I'll grade the first point. I wonder who had Oakland winning?

    I kid, kid. Since I made the post, I guess the least I can do is go ahead and

    Darrell KSR 03-21-2024, 09:18 PM Go to last post